Behavioural, anatomical and physiological methods for coping with lack of water.

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What two things can an organism be?

A specialist or generalist.

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What is a specialist?

Organisms which are well suited to only certain habitats

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What is a generalist?

Organisms which can live in a range of habitats but can easily be out-competed

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Explain how polar bears are adapted for survival in the arctic

A white appearance as camouflage, thick layers of fat for insulation, a small surface area to volume ratio - minimise heat loss, a greasy coat that sheds water after swimming, large furry feet to distribute their load and to grip on ice.

Stems that can store water, and widespread root systems that can collect water from a large area.

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Four adaptations that make animals successful predators

Built for speed, sharp teeth and claws, camouflage to avoid being seen by prey and eyes to the front of the head to judge size and distance well (binocular vision).

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Five adaptations that help animals avoid being caught as prey

Live in groups (herds or shoals), built for speed, defences such as poison or stings, camouflage to avoid being seen by predators and eyes to the side of the head to get a wide field of view (monocular vision).

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What are extremophiles?

Extremophiles live in very extreme environments. They can survive conditions that would kill most other organisms.

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In which two conditions could extremophiles live?

very high or very low temperatures or high concentrations of salt in water.

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How is bacteria an extremophile?

certain bacteria can live in hot springs or around deep-sea hydrothermal vents, where the water can be very hot.

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How are fish extremophiles?

Fish in very cold seas have ‘antifreeze proteins’ in their blood and tissues.

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How are plants extremophiles?

Certain plants grow well in salt marshes where the salt concentration is too high for most plants.

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What does a counter current heat exchange do?

The arrangement warms the cold blood entering the rest of the body, and cools the blood entering the tail, flipper or foot. It reduces the overall loss of heat from the body.